2x06 - Tallahassee
By Amy Degenstein-Hood
This week’s episode brought a closer look into Emma’s past, revealing Henry’s father and the circumstances of his birth. We were also introduced to the last of the giants, played by LOST alumni Jorge Garcia.
We begin in FTL with our foursome approaching the beanstalk. Emma asks why they don’t just grab a bean and go, but Hook tells her there are no more. He explains that her version of the story is not at all accurate. He explains that the giants were evil, and that there was a terrible war. Only the strongest of the giants is still alive. He waits atop the beanstalk guarding the treasure. Hook has 2 enchanted cuffs that will allow him and one more person to climb the stalk. After some arguing, it is agreed that Emma will go. Emma gets sleeping powder from Mulan to use on the giant. She then tells Mulan that if she is not back in 10 hours to cut the beanstalk down and get Snow home. Emma and Hook begin to climb the beanstalk that stretches beyond the clouds.
The next scenes take place in Portland, Oregon, 11 years in the past. We see a younger Emma break into and steal a yellow bug, She is startled when a man sits up in the back seat and tells her she could have just asked him for the keys. He doesn’t seem to be bothered that she has stolen the car. He says his name is Neal Cassidy. Emma is distracted and runs a stop sign. When a cop pulls them over, Neal says he was just teaching his girlfriend to drive and they are let go with a warning. Emma realizes that Neal doesn’t own the car, he stole it. She agrees to go have drinks with him. Later we see Emma and Neal in a convenience store. Emma looks pregnant, but we see a few minutes later that it’s just a bag for her to stash stolen things. Keen eyed fans will remember MM wearing an identical dress in season 1. A customer walks in and sees Neal stealing Apollo bars (a nod to LOST) and Emma fakes labor to get them out of it. In the car, Neal gives Emma a keychain. It is the swan charm she wears around her neck. They run off and go into a hotel room where the family staying had just checked out. Emma finds a dream catcher, which Neal wants to keep since it “keeps nightmares away”. This might be an indication that he has is having nightmares from a traumatic past. He says he wants to settle down. Emma asks him “Where? Neverland?” This might be a bump to those who agree with the theory that Neal is actually Peter Pan. Neal has Emma randomly point at a map. She lands on Tallahassee, and they decide that is where they will go.
As Hook & Emma climb the beanstalk in FTL, he tries to get her to share information. He says she is afraid to trust. He tells her she is an open book and says that Emma doesn’t want to abandon Henry the way she was abandoned. He asks if she was ever in love, and she says no. It is curious that Hook knows this. Either he really is tuned into Emma emotionally, or he’s Cora in disguise. On the ground Mulan draws a sundial type time keeper on the ground. Aurora tells Snow she can’t sleep anymore because of horrid nightmares. Snow says it is a side effect of the sleeping curse and offers to watch over her while she sleeps.
At the top of the beanstalk, Emma cuts her hand as she reaches the top. Hook pours rum on her hand and bandages it up. Emma sees his tattoo of Milah’s name and figures out that Rumple caused Hook to lose her. Emma climbs to the top of a tall statue and Hook makes noise to draw out the giant. We hear growling and thunderous steps. The giant walks out and Hook distracts him long enough for Emma to get him with the sleeping powder. Inside the castle they search for the compass. Hook almost sets off a trap but Emma saves him. They see a skeleton holding a sword that says “Jack”. Hook explains that this was Jack the Giant Killer. The sword has a poison on it that will kill even the largest of giants. At the base of the stalk, we see Snow wake Aurora from a horrible nightmare. She said she was dreaming the same nightmare she has always had. She says she was in a red room with no windows and no doors. There were curtains hanging and they were all on fire. Aurora said in the dream someone was watching her from a corner. Snow says the dreams will fade away.
In Emma’s past, we see Neal showing Emma a “Wanted” poster of him. He says he stole high end watches and put them into a locker at the train station. He says they can’t go to Tallahassee because of it. Emma has an idea to get the watches for him because no one is looking for her. Then they can fence the watches and move to Tallahassee. Neal is reluctant, but he agrees. They go to the train station and Emma is able to retrieve the watches without incident. Neal puts one on her arm and tells her it looks so good she should keep it. He leaves to take the watches to fence, and they agree to meet up later. As Neal is walking down a dark road we see a shadowy figure following him. He runs to get away, thinking it is a cop. He turns around and we see that it is not a police officer, it’s August. He asks if Neal wants to protect Emma, and if so he needs to listen to him. Neal is hesitant, but August shows him something inside his typewriter case and he believes. There is a TON of speculation on what was in that box shown to Neal. Whatever it was it had to be spectacular for Neal to believe so quickly, unless he himself is also a fairytale character. August tells Neal the whole story about Emma. Neal loves her, and doesn’t want to abandon her, but realizes he must do what is right for Emma.
Nearby, we see Emma trying to call Neal. A police officer approaches from behind. He tells Emma that Neal called in a tip and she has a stolen watch on her wrist. She is arrested and we see before the end of the episode that she is given 11 months in jail. Neal meets up with August and is very worried about Emma. He wants to be with her, but August says he can’t. Neal gives August the Swan keychain, the yellow car (which is now legal) and money for Emma. Neal asks August to promise to watch over Emma, and that if she is ever free of the curse madness to let him know. August says “Ya, I’ll send you a postcard.” This eliminates the mystery from episode 1 of who sent the postcard to Neal.
In current FTL, the giant awakens before they can find the compass. He reaches and picks Emma up. She tries to tell him she is not there to kill him, but he doesn’t believe her. He says humans are evil terrible creatures that wiped out his family and his people. Emma is being squashed, and she bites down on his hand to get him to drop her. She runs and triggers the trap that Hook almost fell on earlier. A cage falls pinning the giant to the ground. Emma grabs the sword and holds it to his face. He is visibly afraid. The giant says that the victors get to tell the stories, and that giants were not the bad guys. He gives Emma the compass. She asks if there are any more giants, and he says “No, I’m alone.” She starts to leave and the giant breaks free. He opens a hole in the wall for her to get out. She asks him why, and he says that she could have killed him and she didn’t. Emma asks for one more favor. She needs him to not kill Hook, and to keep him chained there long enough for her to get a head start.
On the ground, Mulan goes to chop down the beanstalk. Snow tackles her to the ground and they fight. Emma reaches the ground as they are fighting. Snow tells Emma, “We go back together. That is the ONLY way. Do you understand?” They hug and continue on their journey.
In a jail cell, we see Emma has received a package. There is no letter, just a pair of car keys on the swan keychain that Neal had given her. The guard says “Well when you get out you’ll have a car….and a baby.” The camera pans down and we see Emma holding a positive pregnancy test.
Back in SB, Henry wakes after a nightmare. He describes the exact dream that Aurora described earlier. This dream seems to be a specific side effect to the sleeping curse. I am personally wondering if Neal was under a sleeping curse at some point since he wanted to keep the dream catcher to keep away the nightmares. There are many theories to who he is. Many people think he may be Bae, Rumple’s long lost son. Some are saying Peter Pan. Maybe he’s BOTH ;)
